It's okay for me to bully my wife for the sake of the young master's dignity, right?

Chapter 390 [039] Black Mist and Bright Light
Uncle Gear thought that Qin Jiandan would give him a heavier punishment (after all, he had a fierce look since he was a child), but the result was that he just worked for the Night Dragon Society under the supervision of the guards, which made Uncle Gear extremely fortunate and regretful.

"If I had known, I would have confessed earlier! I wouldn't have had to worry and be scared for so many years! I have nightmares every night, and I was so scared that I didn't even dare to marry a wife!"

With gratitude and guilt, Uncle Gear was not afraid of getting dirty or tired, and immediately devoted himself to technical work, even including using a wrench to tighten the bolts to reinforce some people's loose prosthetic anus.

In order to ease the water purification pressure in East City, Uncle Gear also took out the previous design drawings and suggested setting up a large "fog-catching net" array in the endless desert on the edge of Ring Stone City.

Fog-catching nets have long been used in deserts on Earth. They can capture fog in the air, allowing tiny water droplets to condense on the net and flow down the pipes and be collected. One net can collect 300 to 400 liters of fresh water a day. Although it cannot be directly drunk, it can be used for washing clothes, bathing, washing vegetables and boiling for cooking.

The characteristic of the outer city is that it uses local materials. Uncle Gear led the workers to use tools and waste materials at hand to piece together several fog-catching nets. Although large arrays are not yet available, small ones can be used.

Under the autumn night sky, Qin Jiandan walked out of the Border City Special Zone alone and continued forward into the endless desert around the edge of the Stone City. In the distance, several huge fog-catching nets were spread out, like silver wings spread out, lying quietly on the sea of ​​sand. The stars were shining, and the moonlight was bright, coating these fog-catching nets with a layer of faint brilliance.

"Uncle Gear is quite capable." Qin Jiandan muttered to himself, "But what is his real name? He seemed to have told me, but I forgot it..."

The Endless Desert is the hunting ground for the "Black Mist", a living storm composed of phlogiston ash that turns living things into zombie-like "Yin Beasts". Only a brave man like Qin Jiandan can walk in the desert without the protection of the Mingguang Sky Dome.

Qin Jiandan observed the fog-catching nets up close. Each net is made of high-strength synthetic fibers, and the surface is specially treated to maximize the condensation and capture of water droplets. The mesh is small and uniform, ensuring that the water droplets can condense and flow down smoothly. On cool nights, water vapor in the air condenses into tiny water droplets on the fog-catching nets. These water droplets gradually gather and converge into streams along the edge of the net, eventually flowing into the collection pipe below.

The collection pipeline is connected to the special zone canal. The "dead mud field" that was originally ignored has now become a place where people rush to get water. One cannot but sigh at the wonder of fate.

The sound of tires rolling over the sand came from behind. Qin Jiandan turned around and found Linlin driving a sand jeep towards him. There was a small bright sky curtain transmitter on the car.

"Brother, we don't have to go to the desert to see the stars, right?"

The vehicle stopped steadily next to Qin Jiandan and Linlin got out of the car. Because she did not remove the counterweight, her insulated engineer boots sank deeply into the sand.

After her left leg was injured and she could no longer run or jump, Linlin has been preparing for prosthetic surgery for many years so that she can adapt to the weight of the prosthesis in advance when she reaches the age of 18.

Qin Jiandan regretted it very much and said, "The purple river water mentioned in my parents' recording is just like a magic lamp that can make people's wishes come true. There was still a little bit left in the hibernation chamber at that time. If we had not let our parents' images appear, but made a wish together to heal your injured leg, it would have been better."

Linlin shook her head lightly: "I did some research on the Dark Gap website. The legendary purple river water has a special name, called 'Amethyst Spiritual Liquid'. If you want to create a bigger miracle, you need to consume more Amethyst Spiritual Liquid. The amount in the hibernation cabin at that time was only enough for us to see our parents' faces. I think that's fine."

Following Qin Jiandan's line of sight, Linlin also saw the crystal water droplets on the fog-catching net. From a distance, they looked like gems inlaid in the desert.

Linlin pulled her brother's sleeve to keep Qin Jiandan and herself under the protection of the small Mingguang Sky Curtain. Although it was not necessary for Qin Jiandan, Qin Jiandan could also appreciate his sister's kindness.

"Come to think of it, among the books my parents left behind, there is a Bible that has never been tampered with. It's full of stories about ■■■, ■■■■, and ■■■!"

Qin Jiandan smiled bitterly: "I and the other people in Huanshi City are all under cognitive shielding. We can't hear these words, and seeing them with our own eyes will be a blur!"

There was a moment of silence between the siblings. The desert seemed mysterious and peaceful at night.

The small skylight transmitter on the jeep emitted a soft glow, forming a hemispherical protective shield to neutralize harmful particles and phlogiston ash that might float in the desert. The starlight and the skylight intertwined, covering the desert underfoot with a layer of silver gauze.

The sand dunes cast long shadows in the moonlight. Occasionally, a breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness and sweeping up fine dust and even phlogistic ash, but under the protection of the bright sky, harmful substances could not approach.

Linlin finally spoke: "I remember a little bit about what happened before I was 5 years old. There is one thing I have to say. My parents and even my brother were unable to return to Earth. Maybe it was all my fault."

"Huh?" Qin Jiandan was puzzled. "You were less than 5 years old at the time. It's too much for you to take on the responsibility like this!"

Linlin's cheeks were slightly red from the night breeze, and the hair tie she used to tie her buns swayed in the wind:
"I should have been born in Ringstone City after the spacecraft made an emergency landing. Before that, my parents probably had eaten food created with amethyst spirit liquid. So I am not a pure original people. I am afraid that part of me is also a fantasy creation." Qin Jiandan's heart trembled, realizing that Linlin's speculation was probably correct.

"My parents had no idea whether I could safely pass through the portal and return to Earth. They wanted to stay and conduct research, so they missed the opportunity to pass through the portal. During that time, as many as half of the spaceship passengers returned to Earth!"

Linlin, wearing a dazzling Kung Fu outfit that stood out in the desert, moved her feet slightly to prevent her engineering boots from sinking deeper into the sand:

"My parents and brother are pure Earthlings, but they were forced to stay in this dangerous environment to take care of me... I always feel..."

"This is not your fault at all." Qin Jiandan patted his sister's shoulder from behind, "My parents did it voluntarily, and so did I."

"But I still think my parents are selfish." Linlin bit her lip stubbornly, with a moist light in her eyes. "Is it because I am their biological child that they treat me better than my brother? It seems that it was only after giving birth to me that Mom gradually faced up to her identity as a mother?"

Like Linlin, Qin Jiandan also gradually remembered more things from the past. Before she decided to become a mother, her mother seemed to treat "Bono" as a younger brother, and Qin Jiandan also called her "sister" for a while. Later, when Linlin was born, her parents probably didn't want Qin Jiandan, who was only five years younger than her, to become Linlin's uncle, so they changed the name.

"Whether on Earth or in Ringstone City, they have never wronged me." Qin Jiandan said, "You are simply overthinking. Although you are a biological child and I am adopted, our parents treat us the same way. If there is a possibility that you will collapse when passing through the portal, as your parents, we cannot rush back and risk losing you. We must find out."

Qin Jiandan's consolation did not make Linlin feel much better. She clenched her hands into fists, her fingertips almost embedded in her palms, and her shoulders were slightly raised, as if she was resisting the chill in her heart, or as if she was making a silent protest to the world.

"Even if that's the case..." Linlin said, "They can let brother go back first! There must be someone on Earth to pick him up. In any case, it can't be more dangerous than Ringstone City, right?"

"We don't know all the mechanisms of the portal." Qin Jiandan said, "Children are safest with their parents. This is common sense. I don't think the parents did anything wrong. Linlin, don't blame your parents or feel guilty about it."

"The subsequent division of the people, the creation of the company, the arrival of monsters and the five-year war, as well as the passing of the hibernation pod and the fragments of the portal, are all beyond the control of parents. Rather, I am glad that I can stay to take care of you and protect you."

Qin Jiandan said this, looking at Linlin's injured left calf.

"Besides, I didn't protect it well enough."

"Hug me..."

Qin Jiandan was a little hesitant, and Linlin immediately forced a smile at her brother: "The kind between siblings, and pat my head by the way."

In the cool night of the desert, Qin Jiandan felt Linlin's uneasiness and trembling. He slowly stretched out his arms, gently wrapped them around her shoulders, and pulled her into his arms.

His strong body was like a warm wall, shielding Linlin from the cold. Qin Jiandan's body temperature was transmitted to Linlin through his clothes, making her feel a special sense of security. His brother's embrace was broad and solid, like a safe haven in a chaotic world, giving Linlin's soul a temporary rest.

During the hug, Qin Jiandan patted Linlin's head with one hand, and the gentle patting was like the rhythm of coaxing her to sleep when she was a child. Linlin's body gradually relaxed, and her cheek rested on Qin Jiandan's chest, feeling his steady and strong heartbeat.

"Don't worry," Qin Jiandan whispered in Linlin's ear, "If you can't go back to Earth, I don't want to go back either. I will stay here with you forever."

Tears seemed to be sliding down Linlin's cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Yes. With brother's words, Linlin can move on."

At this moment, the cruelty of the world temporarily left them, and the wind in the desert seemed to become gentler...

(End of this chapter)